1927: Redemption

Prepare

“There are two basic motivating forces: fear and love. When we are afraid, we pull back from life. When we are in love, we open to all that life has to offer with passion, excitement, and acceptance. We need to learn to love ourselves first, in all our glory and our imperfections. If we cannot love ourselves, we cannot fully open to our ability to love others or our potential to create. Evolution and all hopes for a better world rest in the fearlessness and open-hearted vision of people who embrace life.”

2021-DECEMBER-FLORIDA

“You are not needed today Adeline Martinez, go back.”

Adeline gave Ace a withering look as she made her way behind the counter at Victoria coffee House, Ace was standing at attention by the register, leaning up against the wall with his arms crossed.

“Well, you’re the unwanted person here so go away,” Adeline muttered, keeping her gaze fixed on her feet.

She was not sure if she could even make eye contact with Ace and not blurt out that she knew what had happened to his father. She knew without a doubt that he would not be very happy with her if he found that out.

Adeline was a little surprised that Ace followed after her as she walked through the kitchen, towards the back where the coat rack was. That was definitely a first.

“What are you doing? Stop following me.” Said Adeline, not looking back at him.

Ace did not answer, of course, he didn’t. He never answered anything, did he?

She was quite upset with all the drama with the beast last night and she did not want any of it with Ace today, so she slipped off her coat and hung it up on the coat rack along with her bag, and just about jumped a foot in the air when she turned around and came face to face with Ace.

“What do you want?” She repeated in a high pitched voice.

Instead of answering, he pushed her and cornered her against the wall, “You know, I expected better of you, Adeline Martinez,” he said, his lips turned down in an inquisitive expression.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Adeline demanded.

“You’re really gonna go there? You are really going to act all nervous and afraid around me like you’re worried I’m going to suddenly murder you like my maniac grandfather because I look like him?”

Okay, so there was probably no excuse for what she did next, you would have thought that she would slap him upside the head for a preposterous remark- when it was absolutely ridiculous- but apparently her subconscious thought it would be a good idea to do something completely opposite to that.

So, for a very odd reason, Adeline reached out and wrapped her arms around him and hugged him as tightly as possible.

Expecting that Ace would throw her to the ground or start yelling, but he didn’t. He froze against her, his arms hanging limply at his sides.

“You are an A- grade asshole, Arris Jonathan.” She mumbled into his chest. “I would never do that to you, you don’t deserve it.”

Where the hell was this coming from?

Maybe from her heart, or maybe she needed a hug.

It was hard to say if he laughed or grunted at the same time to her words, but he asked:

“What are you doing Adeline Martinez?” His voice sounded strained.

“Hugging you, Arris Jonathan.” Adeline answered, feeling completely awkward as she then asked, “The least you could do is hug me back already.”

That time she was fairly certain he snorted out a derisive laugh. But much to her surprise, Ace actually wrapped his arms around her, albeit a bit hesitant, but he was still returning the hug.

It lasted for ten seconds maybe, when-

“Come on,” Ace muttered after a few moments. “Don’t you have any work?”

Well, wasn’t this an off day for her today?

Letting him go, she said, “It's an off day for me, Arris Jonathan.”

Rolling his black eyes, giving her a look, he asked, “You are enjoying it, don’t you?”

Acting like she doesn’t know what he was talking about, raising her eyebrows, Adeline asked, “What am I enjoying? Standing here with you or hugging-”

Giving her an unimpressed look, “Stop calling me that.”

“What? I haven’t called you anything.”

Here, Adeline played completely oblivious to the comments he was throwing at her and it pissed him off.

“If you repeat that name one more time, I’m going to throw you in an unknown portal without any information, do you understand?”

Attention everyone, the old Ace was back as Adeline raised her hands in surrender, saying, “Sorry, sorry. Gosh! Dude, you don’t have to be so elaborative about your threats.”

Things were clearly already back to normal, which she supposed was not too bad, right?

Oh, who was she kidding? She wanted at least something to get from Ace, maybe a reaction, and she got a hell of a lot of that from him.

“Oh, and by the way? Mrs Jonathan ordered me to invite you to Thanksgiving dinner.”

She stopped dead in her tracks and whirled around, and asked, “What?!”

Ace walked behind her, “Yes. Consider this your last, go back to your apartment and prepare your mind. You have to travel a lot after Christmas.” With that, he left the room.

“But, where?! Can’t YOU tell me everything, hello!” And all her yelling went in vain.

Why was he always giving deadlines to her, wasn’t it his job to tell her everything?

Well, no Adeline.

Because it was her job to finish the reading and prepare herself for the upcoming challenge.

Great, just great.

This was just about her thing she had to look forward to, wasn’t it?

Will Adeline try and read the letters left by James Martinez?

Or will she wait for the beast to tell her everything?

Will Adeline pull another trick on the beast to get the details?

Or will he tell her everything by himself?